Born in Fire- a Zuko Story
by Artemisfowl191
Summary: Zuko may be the son of the richest man in the area, but he doesn't live a good life. He's frequently verbally abused, hated and shunned within his own family, and his sister is quite frankly perfect in his father's eyes. Then, it gets worse. (Modern AU.)


Zuko was not the smartest. Not the most convincing. Not the most athletic. Not the most honorable. Not the good one. Not the lucky one.

Zuko was not Azula.

Azula was all of those things, at least in their father's eyes.

And that was all that mattered here.

In this place, father's opinion was the only opinion.

In this place, Zuko was nothing.

He woke up to the sound of an alarm blaring. He looked to the bedside table, and saw the clock. 7:30. Late. Again.

He all but fell out of bed in his rush to get ready. Pants. Shirt. Belt. Hair. Shoes. Brush teeth.

And then Zuko walked into the small living space, hoping he could sneak out the door without notice.

He couldn't.

He heard a familiar, yet hated voice. Zhao. He was sitting in a leisurely manner on the couch, watching a documentary about the war.

"Zuko… Your father won't be happy when I tell him you're late again…" The man said, and it sounded like he was suppressing a sadistic glee. "Maybe this time I'll get to watch as you get that punishment you deserve." A slight smile graces the soldier's lips. "Or perhaps… I won't tell him… but then you'll owe me…"

Zuko, rather obviously, and very likely deservingly, hated Zhao. The man was a colleague of his father's, still in the military after his father had left to pursue his business enterprise. But Zhao was far from the picture of an honorable soldier. He cared much less about his country than his reputation, and he was more a soldier of Ozai than of America… He was one of the many of Zuko's father's employees who were responsible for the darker side of business.

"Zhao… please… don't tell my father." Zuko said, trying his best to sound dignified.

"Ah, kid, sure I won't tell him… If you beg enough. Now, I want to hear a desperate little idiot. Go!"

Zuko hated being humiliated. Back when his mother had been around, at least father's colleagues had ignored him, but now… he felt like little more than a toy to be passed around in his own house…

Zuko got down on his knees… and prepared to do what Zhao had told him… When he decided that he couldn't take this anymore, and kicked Zhao in a particularly painful place.

While the man was distracted, Zuko sprinted out the door, and ran to school. He was free, for the moment.

He entered the large gray building, and continued to run to his first class. The door was closed, so Zuko knocked. The teacher, Mr. Sang, opened the door and let him in. He took his seat without a word. Mr. Sang usually reprimanded students for being late, but Zuko was an exception; his father was very… powerful in the right places. Sang didn't know that Ozai hadn't seen Zuko as a son since Azula had proven herself superior- that is to say- very early in her life.

The lesson was rather straightforward- mostly just a discussion of the book the class was reading. Zuko didn't pay much attention. His thoughts were focused on Zhao. His father would certainly be told that Zuko was late again. The last time had not been pretty- he'd been savagely beaten. No one anywhere had dared to care. They all knew who his father was, and they knew better than to defy him.

The rest of the day passed by in a rather uneventful way. All the classes were normal, and he was ignored. He sat by himself at lunch. He spent most of his spare time trying to think of a way to approach his father about being late again.

Zuko walked home slowly. He was not looking forward to going home. He hadn't since his mother had left all those years ago. It was coming up on the third anniversary of her disappearance.

The crimson colored house stood out on top of the hill. A drop of blood in a sea of green. Zuko walked up the driveway, and paused at the door before hesitantly opening it. Inside, he found the living space empty, except for his uncle Iroh lounging, with a hint of discontent on his face. He attempts to hide it with sheer joviality. "Zuko, welcome home. Would you like some ginseng tea? You know it's my favorite, but I'm willing to share!"

"No, thank you uncle. Is father in a meeting?"

"…Yes. He is."

"I… need to talk to him about something."

"You should not go in there, Zuko. You know he doesn't want you in on his business until you are older."

"Please uncle. I'm… I'm old enough."

"Fine. But watch what you say, these guys are a bit touchy, you know?"

And so they walked in to Ozai's meeting room. Seated around a long table were many men of different appearances, but all were very influential, and most were very rich. Seated behind a desk at the base of the table was Ozai, and, to his left, Azula.

Iroh took his seat at the table, and Zuko pulled up a chair next to him.

The meeting went on.

Eventually, the discussion went into the darker realm of… business politics… An old man put forth his plan to further the drug empire. "I say we send group 41 out to that place on the outskirts. They'll get caught, which will draw attention away from our real venture on the south side of town."

Another man spoke up, "But… group 41 is all young guys. They haven't even done anything wrong yet!"

The first man spoke back, with a smirk, "I know. That's why they'll make the perfect diversion!"

Zuko listened intently through all of this. Because of how he had been raised, Zuko had no problem with the drug empire in general, but he did have a problem with the old man's plan. If he hadn't been Ozai's son, if he'd been raised without as much money, Zuko knew he'd probably be part of the group the man was talking about sacrificing. He couldn't hold his tongue.

"How could you do something like that! Those people are loyal to us and to my father! How could you betray them!?"

Ozai casually flicked his lighter out of his pocket, and put it on the desk before him.

Then he spoke. "Zuko. What you have said is a challenge. It is disrespect. You know what this means. Will you fight, or are you a coward.?"

Zuko looked to the old man. He was weak. Zuko figured it wouldn't be too difficult to overpower him.

"I'm not afraid."

Ozai flicked the lighter, and the flame came to life. He walked out the back of the room, and gestured for the others to follow. The people from the meeting room stood around the paved courtyard. Ozai stood at the back end. Zhao pushed Zuko into the other end.

Ozai advanced. Zuko understood. It was not the old man he had disrespected. He had spoken against his plan, but by doing so in his father's meeting room, it had been his father he had disrespected.

Zuko begged for his father to spare him.

He was not spared.

"You will learn respect, and suffering will be your teacher."

Ozai took his son by the neck. He picked up a stick from the ground, fallen from a dead tree, and lit it. He took his fabricated torch and thrust it into his son's face. "If you are not willing to burn, why do you expect to burn my money by being so pathetic, so worthless!? You've never done anything right in your life! You were lucky to be born, you insolent, foolish son of a b!tch! Yes… Your mother was nothing to me… and neither are you."

Zuko's vision was clouded. The pain was intense. He felt like his life would go out soon. That was what his father wanted. Before everything faded, he saw a hand grab his father's, and felt the heat dim. Then there was nothing.

He woke up in pain. The left side of his face was burning, even though he knew the fire had to be gone. He tried to open his eyes. Only one of them responded. He looked around and saw the red walls, lined with gold. In the chairs in the room, there were two people. One was his uncle, who looked very worn, and had obviously been crying. The other was a girl not much younger than Zuko. Black hair, golden eyes, her normally expressionless face showing a hint of sadness: Mai. Iroh spoke first. "Zuko… You're awake at last. I was so worried! This girl here has been with me, hoping you'd wake up."

"Thank you, Mai…" Zuko said. "Where's father?" He said, turning back to Iroh.

"He refuses to see you. He says you are to leave at once as soon as you are able. He never wants to see you again, unless you can, as he said, 'conquer the kingdom.' I'm going with you."

"I want to go too." The girl says, and then returns to her quiet demeanor.

"Young lady, I know you want to stay with Zuko, but it's safer for you here."

"I know… I just… Don't want him to leave."

Zuko was still struggling to comprehend his uncle's statement. Conquering the kingdom meant spreading the empire to the state capital. It meant defying the government by replacing it. It would be impossible for Zuko to accomplish. Ozai knew that.

Zuko and Iroh left the estate as soon as Zuko could stand up without immediately falling back down. Mai stood solemnly in the doorway and watched them go.


End file.
